


Helpless

by oOAchilliaOo



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Random Hamilton inspired fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2016-08-02
Packaged: 2018-07-28 22:49:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7659958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oOAchilliaOo/pseuds/oOAchilliaOo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During that night at the Winter Palace a particular person dressed in a particular uniform has Evelyn feeling a little…helpless.</p>
<p>Then Leliana goes and makes things worse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Helpless

“You are distracted, Inquisitor,” Leliana said teasingly, jolting her from the trance she seemed to have inadvertently fallen into. 

Evelyn blinked and immediately lifted her champagne flute to her lips as a clumsy means of covering her inattention. The flute that had sat idle in her hand for far too long. There was a pause. In her peripheral vision, Evelyn could just see the curiously amused look that Leliana was giving her. Her spymaster had not been in the least bit deceived by the gesture. “Perhaps a little.”

When she turned to face Leliana, her expression bore an all too knowing smile. 

“I am curious,” the redhead said teasingly, as she swept her own glass of champagne from a passing servant’s tray. 

“Is that so?” Evelyn replied, equally as teasingly. She had to forcibly remind herself not to turn her head to the left lest she be distracted again. 

“Indeed.” Leliana took a delicate sip from her own glass. “I wonder, what is it that has you so distracted?” 

“It’s been a long night.” Evelyn shrugged, striving for nonchalance, but the flash of red at the corner of her field of vision had her eyes darting once more to the left. 

And she was helpless once again. 

She’d known she was in trouble the moment he had greeted her outside Halamshiral’s gates with the world’s most uncomfortable looking smile and a soft ‘hi’. 

The perfectly tailored uniform was just a little too tight on him, the material outlining the defined biceps and broad expanse of his chest in a way that his armour did not. She had never wanted anything more than to be swept up into his arms. His eyes had been soft and warm as he’d gazed at her as if she were the only woman in the world. She had felt her heart beating furiously in her chest. 

Her predicament had only grown once they’d retreated inside. As she’d crossed the dance floor towards the Empress of Orlais, she had somehow been more impressed by the list of titles and ranks the herald had called out for Cullen than by the empress herself. 

Then the ball had begun in earnest and, while outside of the ballroom she had managed to keep her composure and focus, within the ballroom she had been helpless once again. She had watched as he’d blushed before the ladies and gentleman of the court, listened as he’d responded to their questions with as few words as possible and every now and then had had to remind herself to breathe as their gazes had met and he had smiled at her. 

It was pure insanity. All they had shared was a few kisses; she could hardly yet call the man hers, but still, she thought of herself as his. She never would have believed that a man could hold her so captivated. She was simultaneously smart and strong and independent, and somehow helpless before him. 

Something about this night was compounding the issue. Whether it was the uniform, the candlelight, or the glittering ballroom she wasn’t sure, but it was certainly a struggle to stay away from him. 

“It has,” Leliana replied, bringing her back to the present and causing her to realise that she’d been staring at him again. “Yet with the Duchess defeated and the empire saved, one has to wonder what the cause of your distraction is, and...” she added, leaning in and dropping her voice to a whisper, “what or rather who was the cause of it prior to that.” 

Evelyn immediately felt what seemed like all the blood in her body rush to her face as she blushed under her friend’s scrutiny. After a moment, Leliana simply laughed and something about her delighted mirth caused Evelyn to relax. 

“Well, can you blame me?” Evelyn asked once they had composed themselves. 

“Not in the slightest, Inquisitor,” Leliana replied as they both turned slightly left in order to more properly admire the subject of their conversation. “Though I do think he should know.” 

Before Evelyn could really bear to tear her eyes away from him, Leliana drained the last of her champagne, dropped the empty flute onto a passing waiter’s tray and was weaving through the crowd towards Cullen with a speed and grace Evelyn knew she’d never match. 

As the horror, shame, embarrassment and nerves coursed through her, she watched Leliana take his arm and smoothly lead him from the group of noblewomen that seemed determined to follow his every footstep. Her genial, smiling face and soft spoken words, whatever they were, effectively put paid to the women’s caterwauling. 

Evelyn continued to watch, still terrified, as Leliana led him a little way away, and Cullen bent his head to hear her whispered words. They spoke for only a few moments before he suddenly straightened, a bright smile gracing his features as he turned to look about the hall. 

For her.

As their eyes met he stilled, his smile growing wider. Her breath caught as she beheld him, candlelight casting his features in a soft glow, his eyes warm and loving as he stood there, every inch the dashing soldier. Then she caught sight of Leliana's smug grin beside him and remembered what the spymaster had crossed the room to say. 

She could feel herself blushing furiously once again as the heat of embarrassment settled in her stomach, and she turned away from him, sipping her champagne distractedly. 

Predictably, once she had drained her glass and disposed of it, her eyes were automatically drawn back to him. His gaze was still upon her but now Leliana had moved to his side and was once again whispering in his ear. He’d bent his head in order to hear her better but his gaze remained fixed on Evelyn, and had become almost intense. 

She needed air and somewhere she could attempt to forget the fact that, thanks to Leliana, Cullen now knew the effect he had on her. 

As the press of people moved about the hall around her, she caught sight of an unoccupied balcony and carved a path through the crowd towards it. Once she was outside, everything seemed calmer. The music faded to a soft cadence, the chatter of the crowd was virtually non-existent and best of all, in the cool night air there was no sticky smell of sweating bodies, only half-masked by pungent perfume. 

She breathed deeply for the first time all evening, enjoying the peace and quiet, setting her mind free as she sifted slowly thorough the night’s events.

Celene, Gaspard, Briala; all as bad as each other, yet if they were able to put aside their differences and actually work together, she believed that there could be hope for the future. At least she prayed that there could be. She hadn’t exactly had the time to give the weighty matter the consideration it deserved and even that asides, so much had happened tonight. 

The duchess’ scheme, the elven underground, fighting through the palace grounds forever conscious of staying too long away from the ballroom…

But that was over now and for better or for worse the decision had been made. If her time as Inquisitor had taught her one thing it was that it was always better to forge ahead than waste time reflecting on a past that could not be changed. 

Instead she turned her mind to simply enjoying the night air and focusing on more favourable thoughts. Specifically, and perhaps predictably, those of a handsome Commander swathed in his tight fitting uniform as he had smiled at her across the ballroom. As he had blushed before the Orlesian nobles that swarmed around him. As he had shot her a grateful look while talking to the guards she’d sent his way with questions of the battle at Adamant. 

“The Orlesian nobility make drunken toasts to your victory, and yet you are not present to hear them?” a smooth voice questioned, interrupted her reverie. The voice was so distinctive that she recognised it immediately and sure enough moments later, Morrigan came to stand at her side. 

“Do you tire so quickly of their congratulations, Inquisitor? ‘Tis most fickle, after all your efforts on their behalf,” she added with a sly smile, her tone sarcastic. 

Evelyn decided that she liked this woman immensely. 

“I would have stayed but the punch ran dry, scandalous,” she replied lightly, a smile curving her lips as Morrigan laughed. 

“Indeed?” she said, once she had finished laughing. “Let us see if you take this piece of news as poorly….” 

Morrigan proceeded to explain that, by imperial decree, she had been named liaison to the Inquisition. Further still, that she had knowledge beyond Evelyn’s own and she was willing to share such. There was undoubtedly merit in her proposal and after a little further questioning Evelyn was happy to welcome her to the Inquisition. Moments later she left and Evelyn turned back towards the view, her thoughts turning to her Commander once more.

She was not left alone for long. 

“There you are. Everyone’s been looking for you,” said the object of her thoughts, as he joined her on the balcony. 

Evelyn smiled to herself, she had a sudden feeling that this night would end pleasantly after all.


End file.
